Plow-hitch mechanism.



1. H. Buma. PLOW HITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. 1916.

Patented Oct. 23, 19H,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED .STATES PATENT orrrcr..

4JOIIliIllH. BUTLER, 0F DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR T0 PARLIN & ORENDORFFCOMPANY, F CANTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF IEIJINOIS.

. IPLOW-HITCH MECHANISM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

- To aZZ whom it may concern.'

Beit known that-I, JOHN H. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, lhaveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Plow-Hitch Mechanisms,of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention Irelates to plow hitch mechanisms especially designed forconnecting a gang'plow with a traction engine, and it has for itsprincipal object the provision of automatically-acting means for`guiding the plow for, maintaining the proper position of the plow-relative to the tractor when making a turn, either with `the plows inraised position or in operativeowered position. It is one of the objectsof my invention to provide means for controlling the position of one ormore of the supportingr whee s of the frame, such means being preferablyadapted for use in connection with hitching @means held againsttransverse movement relative to the plow-frame and pivotally connectedupon a vertical axis with the tractor. It is another object of myinvention to improve mechanisms of this type in s un drydetailshereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I haveaccom- ".plished my several objects are illustrated Y inthe drawings andare hereinafter specically described. That which I believe to be new anddesire to cover by this lapplication isset forth in the claim.

In the drawings v:- Figure 1 1s a top or plan view of a gang plowconnected by means of my improved hitch mechanism with a suitabletractor, only a fragmentary portion of the tractor being shown;

Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the position of the partswhen making a turn;

Fig. 3 is alfragmentary view, being a side view of the forwardsupporting wheel and Y the adjacent parts; and

` Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view2 jstantially a section taken on line tebeing sub- /i-'A of Fi 1. 2 eferringtb the several figures 'of thedrawings inwhich corresponding 4parts are f indicated by l the samereference char-V acters'r.- y f 10 indicat the framework of the plow,being .provided with suitable plow bodies `11, which, in theconstruction shown, are of a rotary type. Carrying wheels 12-13 aremounted in any suitable manner upon the frame 10, the wheel 12 beingadapted to be raised and lowered relative to the frame by means of alever 14 of any suitable type,g and the wheel 13 being preferablyadapted to caster freely relative to the.

frame.

A third sulpportingwheel 15 is journaled upon a horizontally-extendingportion 16 of an axle member 1 a vertically-extending -portion 18 ofwhich is journaled in a suitable sleeve 19 carried by the frame 10relative to which the said portion 18 is adapted to slide vertically. Abracket 20 fixed upon the sleeve 19 has pivotally mountedV upon it-v alever 21 which isadapted to be set at any desired point along asegmental rack 22 carried by the bracket21. The lever 21 is connected bymeans of a link 28 with a collar 24 ievolubly mounted upon theA upperend of the portion 18 of the axle member-17 a pin 25A/being employed forpreventing the collar-"24 from moving vertically relative to the axlemember.. As will be readily appreciated from an inspection ofFig. 3,when the lever 21 is raised relative to the bracket 20, the axle member17 and the wheel 15 will be forced upward relative to the frame 10 andwhen the lever 21 is lowered the wheel 15 will be lowered relative tothe frame, this being accomplished without in any way interfering withthe turning laterally of the axle member upon its vertically-extendingportion 18. i Clips 26-27 of any suitable type carried by-the'framework10 have pivotally connected with their forwardV ends atransversely-extending bar 28 to which is connected a hitch membercomprising a forn wardly-extending bar 29 and a diagonallyextending bar30,which are connected together forward of the bar 28. The hitch' member29-30 is adapted to swing up and down freely upon the pivotalconnection' between the bar 28 and the frame 10 so as to have a suitableconnection with th Vframework of any suitable traction means. In the'construction shown the bar 29 is connected by means of a pivot pin 31at any desired two of -pointalong a bar 32 extending transversely of theframe 33 of a traction engine,

the supporting wheels of which are indicated 11| by 34L`35. As will bereadily understood, the lhitch member 29-30 is held against lateralmovement relative to the' frame l() of the plow, and is thereforeadapted to maintain the frame of the plow in fixed position transverselyof the plow relative to the connection of the hitch member 29-30 withthe tractor.

In order to turn the supporting wheell laterally for assisting inkeeping the frame 10 in proper position relative to the tractor, aconnection is provided between the wheel and the traction means. Thisconnecting means comprises an arm 36 rigidly connected with the upperend of the axle member 17 and extending laterally therefrom, and a rigidlink 37 pivotally connected at its rear end with the outer end of thearm 36 and pivotally connected at its lforward end with the tractionmeans at one side of the point of connection of the hitch member 29-30thereto. The link 37 is of such a length as 'to hold to keep the wheel15 in parallelism with the wheel 12 so long as the tractor is goingstraight forward as shown in Fig. 1. lVhen, however, the link 37 isgiven a forward or backward` movement relative to thehitch member 29-80,the wheel 15 is turned laterally relative to the plow-frame 10. As isshown in F ig. 2, when the tractor inclines les to the left, thus givingthe link 37 a backward movement relative to the hitch member 29-30 andrelative to the frame 10, the wheel 15 is turned laterally into suchposition as to tend to carry the frame 10 also to the left. As will bereadily understood from an inspection of Fig. 2, if the tractor were dilrected toward the right instead of toward the left as shown in Fig. 2,the hitch member 29-30 would be given a forward movement relative to thehitch member 29-30 and relative to the frame l0 so as to turn the theaxle member 17 in such position as position as to tend to frame in rearof the furrow opening means, v,

a transversely-extending bar pivotally connected at its ends .with thefront bar 0f said frame and adapted to forward from saidpivotally-mounted bar for connecting said frame to a suitable tractionmeans, a diagonally-extendingbar,oonnecting said bitching member withsaid pivotally-mounted bar adapted to hold the.

bitching member against lateral movement relative to .saidpivotally-mounted bar, an arm connected with said second named wheel andextending laterally relative thereto, and a second hitching memberpivotally connected with said arm and adapted to be connected to saidtraction means at one side of the connection of the first-named hitchingmember thereto adapted, upon an angular movement of the traction meansrelativeto said frame for delecting theA traction means laterally ineither direction, to turnsaid second-named wheel laterally relative tothe frame, said bitching members being adapted to maintain said frame infixed position transversely point of connection of the bitching memberswithA the traction means.

JOHN H. BUTLER.

l swing vertically relative thereto, a bitching-member extendinifz@Ithereof relative to the :prrecuon mleneps PafenpNo. 1,243,704

` It is herebya'tiod that in Letters Patent No. 1,243,704', grantedOctober 23 1917, upon the application of John H. Butler, of Dallas,Texas, for an improvement in Plow-Hitch Mechanisms," an error appears intho printed specication requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line40, for the reference-numerale 29-30 read 37; und that the said LettersPatent should berend with this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the 'case in tho Patent Oce.

Asigned md sealed this zum day of November, A. D., 1911.

[sEALJ R. F. WHITEHEAD,

.4 ching Uonimaaioncr of Patents. Cl. 3T- 73.

